tonight, cease-fire, israel and hamas lay down their arms, for now. >> this is a critical moment for the region. the right thing for the state of israel is to exhaust this opportunity to obtain a long-term cease-fire. >> our brothers will guarantee the implementation of all of these understandings in this agreement. >> will the fragile peace hold? also, rudy giuliani on what it means. >> plus, we'll be talking about hillary clinton, the stars

battle it out. this is "piers morgan tonight." good evening, big story tonight, celebrations in the middle east over the fragile peace, a cease-fire, the israeli president, netanyahu. >> we want the entire world to understand our people. and we can explain the faces, the pale faces of the leaders of the enemy, because they have failed in their attempt. >> i have toay that all of this was done with the firm support on the part of the leaders of the international community, and i would like especially to thank president barack obama for his unreserved support. >> questions on both sides and

around the world. how long can peace last? i want to go now to cnn's arwa damon, is there a sense of the strength of the position in the last eight or nine days? >> reporter: there is, certainly if you look at the terms because there is a cease-fire agreement. at the very least it does state that israel must open the border crossings to facilitate the movement of people. we don't know what it will translate to at this stage. but from the people we speak to here, they do feel that this time around, the israelis, yes, it was indirectly, but they were forced to come to an agreement via the mediator, versus four years ago. the mood on the street here earlier was one of celebration. some people celebrating the fact

that they do view this as being a victory over israel as having stood up in the face of what they describe to be israeli aggression, but finally, they say after days of bombardment, they were able just to go outside. >> yes, you can see the pictures here of people looking jubilant, just getting outside. when you look at how it plays out, mohamed morsi playing a pivotal role here. how is egypt calling the shots in terms of the way the palestinians are reacting? >> reporter: well, on the one hand, one needs to remember when it comes to mediating the deals between the two sides israel has always played a critical and central role. what has changed now is the dynamics between egypt and israel after the arab spring, and after the fact that hosni

mubarak, who was a staunch ally of the east, is no longer in power. and now the egyptians became an entity because of the fact they are led by the muslim brotherhood, became an entity here in gaza. and that changed the dynamics and it has changed the way we have been seeing things the way they played out on the ground. the dynamics of what is transpiring that led to the cease-fire, we'll have to wait and see if it holds. that is what has changed, most certainly, egypt, given the fact it is a very young government, has at least for now proven itself. in one sense it has passed that critical test. >> arwa damon, thank you very much. welcome to you. >> thanks for having me. >> can you outline exactly what

you believe the spirit of this agreement to be today? >> reporter: it is an arrangement that has been negotiated with egypt and with the support of the united states. and it promises us what this whole campaign was about. it promises the people of southern israel, peace and iet. it promises them that they no longer have to live in constant fear of an incoming rocket launched from the gaza strip. it promises them for the first time in a very long time the possibility to live a normal life. and from our point of view, if these promises are fulfilled, that is a good thing. >> i understand that also it promises the people of gaza, perhaps a better future. we're hearing via the new york times as i speak to you that the terms also state the underlying

grievances, of gaza, the movement that impedes through gaza, will be started 24 hours after the cease-fire is in effect. now, that is clearly a big move by israel. >> reporter: i think it is important to remember, piers, the following. there is cause and there is effect. when we pulled out of gaza in 2005, when we took down our settlements and took back to the international front tier, there were no restrictions in place. our restrictions were in place when we started to see hostility from gaza, and terrorism and rockets aimed at our people. and if you think about it, that is only normal. i mean, how can you expect they were shooting at us? they couldn't expect to have normal relations. if we are now indeed going into a period of quiet where we no longer have that violence. where we no longer have that active hostility, obviously,

that changes the reality for us and allows us to turn the page. we have no trouble taking steps that will see improvement in the quality of life. >> one of the main concerns for many israelis is that this is going to be one step nearer hamas becoming legitimate. having said that, if you look at northern ireland it was only when the political wing of the ira was legitimized, that they achieved any lasting settlement. do you see a parallel there? and do you see a time when hamas will be seen as a legitimate body by israel? >> reporter: you know if hamas changed and moderated its positions, if hamas met the three benchmarks that were articulated by the united nations, that is recognizing my

country to exist. abandoning terrorism and violence, then the negotiations could begin. but on the contrary, i think in many ways hamas is stuck in a very extreme position. and the evidence we saw for that today. we had the bombing in tel aviv on the bus. and hamas praised that. they welcomed that. they said that was legitimate. and so as long as hamas is doing that sort of thing it is difficult to be optimistic. but if they do change, if they do moderate. if they fundamentally reserve some of their very hard line positions, the door can be opened. >> i mean, do you accept, though, obviously in the last eight or nine days, 30 times as many palestinians have been killed as israelis? so clearly, there is bloodshed on both sides. and israel is not blameless

here, either. >> reporter: i think the most important issue here is though, what we're we doing? i mean, this whole operation was not to take territory or change regimes or something grandiose like that. our operation was purely defensive. our goal was to protect our people so that the population of southern israel would not have to live in daily fear of an incoming rocket. we didn't want this operation. it was forced upon us by hamas's aggressive action. i hope that these understandings reached with egypt and with the good offices of the united states, as well, and we should thank the american government, will hold and that we get peace. that is good for israel. that is also good for gaza. >> mark regev, thank you for joining me. >> reporter: my pleasure, sir. >> abdullah is the charlotte

motor speedwmo president of the committee. >> reporter: i hope the americans will not go forward with another mistake. the palestine and the palestine question is indivisible, gaza is part of the palestinian people. and the question of the leadership is authentic. the people elected the leader of the palestinian people. but the americans try to divert their attention from the central issue of how to go about making peace in the middle east, and try to concentrate just how to control one party or another, this will be a grave mistake, this service -- a disservice to peace and to the stability of the region. >> so are you personally concerned that all the dealings here appear to have been done directly with hamas, and not

with a wider group to include president abbas? >> well, president abbas was not absent from these negotiations. of course, when there is a fire, t if we were only to look for the future of this cease-fire, this is another mistake -- that would be made. we have to deal with the root cause of the conflict here. the united states of america was very right when it started -- in the latter part of president bush jr., the presidency afterwards, to give the preference to the israeli conflict. to put these barometers for that. president obama, when he spoke at the state department he outlined how peace can be

achieved in this region, by creating a palestinian state. unfortunately, this was not followed by the americans. they kept a blind eye to the israeli measures that are destructive to the peace measures. only going after the palestinians, trying to even prevent them from trying to preserve the consensus of the international community, which is the two-state solution. and here, i think the american policy has to be reviewed to do service to both israelis and palestinians alike, as mrs. clinton said this evening in cairo at the press conference. that they have to meet the aspirations, we need seriousness in approaching this way of

solving the conflict. >> thank you very much for joining me. she joins me when we come back.

[ male announcer ] can a car be built around a state of mind? ♪ announcing the all-new 2013 malibu from chevrolet. ♪ with a remarkable new interior featuring the available chevrolet mylink infotainment system. this is where sophisticated styling begins. and where it ends? that's up to you. it's here -- the greatest malibu ever. ♪ that bringing you better technology helps make you a better investor. with our revolutionary e-trade 360 dashboard you see exactly where your money is and what it's doing live. our e-trade pro platform offers powerful functionality that's still so usable you'll actually use it. and our mobile apps are the ultimate

in wherever whenever investing. no matter what kind of investor you are, you'll find the technology to help you become a better one at e-trade. we find the best, sweetest craforelobste that we can find. [ malennounc ] it'ti focrabfestt red lobster! his ar, y 1 of 5ntrees like our ne crab d garlic shri. half-pou otender crab pair with savory shrimp. st 12.99. odig into our hearty crab and roasted garlic seafood bake all with salad and unlimited cddar bay biscuit so much to choose from, so ittle time. so come into red lobster for abfest today and sea food differentlrom, so ittle time.

celebrations in gaza, but how long will the celebrations last? joining me now from cairo, christiane amanpour, and global affairs anchor, welcome to you. i want to start by playing a brief clip from your clip with the leader. >> is there ever a circumstance under which you will recognize

israel's right to exist? >> i will give you a reply, a direct reply and a lesson. about the direct answer, i accept the palestinian state according to 1967 borders. with jerusalem as the capital, with the right to return. >> i know you say the right to return, but you know everybody is not going to be able to return to israel, you know that. >> please, please -- say that again. >> under the international agreements, every palestinian who is living there is not going to be able to come back to israel. >> who says that? who said that. >> that is the other parameters. >> i tell you, i -- >> they can come to the palestinian state. >> i tell you, my sister, you are with cnn, a respected channel. do a survey, where the palestinians are. if you don't find the big

majority that want to return to their land, then i'm wrong. >> what did you make with your interview, in particular, the way he defined how a possible peace settlement could unravel here? >> well, he was talking about the recognizing of the state of israel, because that is what everybody wants to know about the palestinians, and that is one reason he is not involved in the peace process. so it is vital to really push him on what it would take on the state of israel. and his last answer was interesting, in terms of the peace agreement. but in terms of how long this truce might last. i know both sides want this to last, nobody wanted the ground war. nobody wants to see more people killed. if it is true that some of these parameters are met. in other words, that the israelis started to lift the restrictions in the blockade of gaza, easing the people's ability to move out, the moving

of commerce and goods, in other words, the ability to move in and out, that will be very important. by the same token, if israel sees there are no other big rockets fired into israel this will be very important. so there is sort of the short term, and the long term is whether the united states and the palestinians can get together and hammer out a peace process. and that is a lot more dubious. but without that, you know, tyc nics say this is just one of many cycles, this could good on for a while and then explode. >> how do you get a sense of the palestinians? there is a feeling that the hamas is beginning to get more power and authority. and that may not necessarily be a bad thing, given they are the ones who are really at war with israel. if they can be brought to a table. if they can do a deal that may

be the best chance of getting a proper, lasting peace. >> well, as i say, it is going to be a while before they can get hamas to the peace table. and that is, hamas has to renounce violence and go to the peace process. but at looks as though, at least this past week of war that the palestinian authority on the west bank ismarginal. and this world, of which it is part, hamas has much more stature and relationships with all of these new governments. and you know, hamas is meant to be isolated by the u.s., and israel, they don't want anybody to have anything to do with the outside, even get fresh air. we saw arab leaders literally beating the door down to try to get into gaza first and stand

shoulder to shoulder with hamas. so that is what they're saying publicly. the really unbelievable thing is how incredible egypt worked and got this deal. and everybody from the united states to hillary clinton to the israelis know that it is egypt, and the new islamist president, mohamed morsi and his government, who made this happen. >> christiane amanpour, thank you very much indeed. coming next, rudy giuliani has more on the cease-fire and if it will hold. iversity of pho we're working with a growing list of almost two thousand corporate partners - companies like microsoft, american red cross and adobe - to create options for you. not only that, we're using what we learn from these partners to shape our curriculum. so that when you find the job you want you'll be a perfect fit. let's get to work.

aya . i would like especially to thank president obama for his unreserved support for israel's actions in the operation, and for israel's right to defend itself, as well as support for the iron dome systems. >> israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu thanking president obama for standing by israel's side during the fighting. but did the white house handle the crisis effectively. joining me now, former new york mayor and presidential candidate, rudy giuliani joining me, welcome. >> how are you piers?

>> i want to read you a tweet from a mutual friend of ours, president obama's steady support throughout the crisis helped to handle the war. he did a good job. do you know who wrote that? >> i don't. >> donald trump. >> well, that is good, donald can be even-handed, i like that. >> the fact he has publicly gone on record saying that would indicate that it would be very, very hard for my republicans to be too critical of president obama. how do you view the president's time in the last few days. >> i don't see why you would be critical of a cease-fire, all we can do is hope it lasts. it is probably too early to have a final conclusion of the situation. you have to wait, i would prefer to say i would be cautiously optimistic. at the same time, we shouldn't be overly excited when you see the underlying tensions that are

here, when you see that scene that i just saw a few moments again of the body being dragged through the streets of gaza. you got a sense of the elements you're dealing with here. so this is a good development. i think hillary clinton and barack obama as well as benjamin netanyahu. and people on the palestinian side. and it looks like egypt played a role here. >> and i think egypt, that is significant indeed. because there are also concerns of president morsi and the rise of the muslim brotherhood, in exactly how they would play a role. he seems to be constructive, leaving instructions he was to be woke up if president morsi wanted to talk to him. and he was, indeed, woken at 2:30 in the morning. cambodia time, for another discussion. i would think that is very

encouraging for the arab spring, almost everybody is concerned, turning on its head. you have the president looking to do a deal, work with america and indeed, israel. >> it seems like although at the very beginning he made some statements that were very questionable, supporting the hamas side. it seems to me over the last couple of days he has taken a much more balanced approach, certainly more than turkey. hopefully by doing that, he freezes iran out. because i have a sense, as many do, that iran was behind a lot of it. after all, many of the missiles were iranian missiles. so if morsi can assert himself, continue to assert himself, maybe he can push iran out and you will have more of a rational discussion of this. i think the jury is out on morsi. he said some things that were constructive, and some things that were extremely damaging.

and we'll have to see going forward which morsi we're dealing with. >> what about the palestinian situation where you have mahmoud abbas on one side, and hamas on the other. you basically have two governments working there. is it possible to even get to a serious discussion about a two-state solution if you don't really know which government is calling the shots? >> it is hard, isn't it? because you don't know who you're negotiating with, in the case of hamas. and the related groups that are part of this, because some of them are loosely affiliated with hamas. you do have a wing of hamas that is extremely violent. extremely dangerous, as you see from the scenes that we saw, the body being dragged through the streets and people being killed. on the other hand, fatah doesn't seem to have enough control over the people. you would hope we can get them to work together so that they can have a common purpose.

i don't think you can finally get to a solution here until the two of them are working together. >> briefly, rudy, we talked about the republican party. what about chris christie who is getting flak from the senior members who think he was disloyal because of the conflict with the repercussions of hurricane sandy, and the photo of him embracing the president. >> i told him two days after the event, i told him, i'll tell you. he did what he had to do as governor. he got hurt, even within the republican party that i had to overcome. this will all pass, i think chris will get reelected, as governor of new jersey. i think his future is unlimited. maybe people are annoyed, and somewhat narrow. but the governor has the issue

with people in his state, he needed the help of the president of the united states. so he had to put that first. >> would you like to see chris christie running a potential president -- in 2016? >> well, you know, you're preaching to the converted here. if i was not the first republican to support chris from out of the state, i was the second. so i'm a very big supporter of chris christie. i think he has been an excellent governor. i think he is exactly the kind of public servant we need. somebody who can put the interest of his state ahead of anything else, including the head of his party. that has to always come second. tell me next what the cease-fire means for two people. i'll talk to two of them. niagra falls with verizon.

hurry in this friday for great deals. like the droid razr by motorola in cranberry, free. or a white 7-inch samsung galaxy tab 2, just $99.99. this friday, get the best deals on the best devices on the best network. exclusively at verizon. it's a great hd tv... shhh. don't speak. i'll just leave you two alone. [ male announcer ] black friday's back. savings start thursday at 8 pm. more electronics start at 10 pm. the first and only place to go this black friday. walmart. and his new boss told him two things -- cook what you love, and save your money. joe doesn't know it yet, but he'll work his way up from busser to waiter to chef before opening a restaurant specializing in fish and game from the great northwest. he'll start investing early, he'll find some good people to help guide him, and he'll set money aside from his first day of work

to his last, which isn't rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade. >> hi. >> you know, i can save you 15% today if you open up a charge card account with us. >> announcer: we all love a good deal during the holidays, especially identity thieves. they can open an account in your name and go on a serious spending spree. >> do you have cufflinks? >> mm-hmm. >> gold ones? >> announcer: not on our watch. we're lifelock, with the most comprehensive identity theft protection you can buy. go to lifelock.com or call 1-800-lifelock today. [whoosh] lifelock-- relentlessly protecting your identity. there's the sign to the bullpen. here he comes. you wouldn't want your doctor doing your job, the pitch! whoa! so why are you doing his? only your doctor can determine if your persistent heartburn is actually something more serious like acid reflux disease. over time, stomach acid can damage the lining of your esophagus. for many, prescription nexium not only provides 24-hour heartburn relief,

but can also help heal acid-related erosions in the lining of your esophagus. talk to your doctor about the risk for osteoporosis-related bone fractures and low magnesium levels with long-term use of nexium. possible side effects include headache, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. other serious stomach conditions may still exist. let your doctor do his job. and you do yours. ask if nexium is right for you. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help.

ameera ah natalie edel well, celebrations in the streets of gaza, we know what officials on both sides are saying about the truce. but what effect is it having on the civilians?

joining me, the journalist, from tel aviv, what has life been like for you in gaza over the last eight or nine days? >> reporter: it was actually a very hard time for us, as a civilian. walking here in gaza, under this attack -- every day. we left the house early in the morning every day. and we think that we are not going to go back again. our children, our kids inside the house. especially in the last three days when they started targeting different places of the media center here in gaza. even if these places belong to someone from hamas or from islamic jihad, it is more than other places, from other journalists, different agencies and channels. and seeing all of these kinds of people killed in the street,

inside their homes. a lot of kids, you know, it makes me feel angry to hear that there is a cease-fire after all that. and i don't know if it is worth it, that we lost all of these kids and people to find the solution to go to the cease-fire. >> let me turn to natalie edelman, i mean, it is a desperate story that you're hearing there on the other side. obviously, it has been tough also for israelis. you have been living there with your husband and child, a frightening time in tel aviv. what is your view? >> it has been very difficult, this past eight days, also in israel. as a new mom, i just gave birth a month ago. i did prepare myself to sleep last night, but i never imagined this is the reason i would stay up. while my daughter, danielle,

stays up most of the night, i am worrying that we will rush to shelter. as you probably know there are twelve--year-old kids who don't know any other, they face the terrorist attacks, rockets. i just wish my daughter could be brought up in a different way. we just want to raise our kids normally, in peace. and it has been very, very difficult. especially with the bombing attack in central tel aviv, which brings me back to very difficult times. i grew up in tel aviv. i remember the days of the suicide bombings in tel aviv. these terrible bombings. and it is very hard to explain the feeling. it is just living in constant threat. >> what would you say, natalie, to somebody like ameera, who is a young person like you, living with her family. but on the other side, you're

there on the split screen. what would you say to her, as a young israeli woman to a young palestinian woman? >> i am sure that she is facing a difficult reality. but i don't want to get into politics, because you know we are just civilians. but i can feel her story as a new mother. i can relate to her story, as well. but i just -- i can just tell you that we are dealing with a terrorist organization. hamas is controlling gaza at the moment. and that is a problem. i would wish -- i wish civilians there would do something to change that reality. but at the moment, israel is facing a very difficult situation of dealing with terrorism. and unfortunately, it strikes not only israel, the terrorism, it strikes all over the world of the -- it happened to be in america, and in london. and i would like to see more

people involved, in the international community, it is awful for both sides. >> what would you say, ameera, on that. >> i agree with her on the both parts that we are both mothers and are civilians. and don't want to get involved in the political issue. but the rest of the part, i don't agree with it. because if we go back to 2004, and when in 2005 when they decided to make the palestinian election, it was a free election. and the people, they chose hamas. the israeli, they should respect their choice, as a people who are going to represent the palestinian people. if it is a terrorist organization it doesn't mean that all the palestinian people, they are terrorist people, you know? and especially in the last eight days, it was like a bloody war. and my girl, she keeps hearing the sound of bombing. every day, she thinks it is a

party. because i put an image in her mind. and -- so i don't know how i can teach her you know, the meaning of life to be a normal kid, to live in a peaceful time, when she is a grown-up, when there is attack every day. >> and when you cut away from the politics and from the military wings, from both political sides, what you're left with are real people living in very difficult situations. and most importantly, the cease-fire holdings and the people who have been responsible for all the rockets, and missiles, get around the table and bring both of you a better life. where you don't have to worry about what happens to your young children every day. or young children who belong to your friends and relatives, thank you very much for joining me tonight.

>> thank you. >> and we have our senior fellow, the author of "the islamist," welcome to you. >> thank you, piers, good to be on your show. >> i found that fascinating, the discussion between the two young mothers in this conflict, what did you make of it? >> the human aspect is very touching, without doubt. but what struck me the both, here in the west, and in israel, rightly we see hamas as a terrorist organization. the difficulty, in gaza, and around the middle east, hamas is not seen as a terrorist organization. and i think it is somehow that huge gap of understanding of approach that then leads to some level of sympathy for hamas's operations in the middle east, among the arab populations. and then this difficult condemnation on our side that doesn't necessarily want to

bring people together to solve problems. >> i see a parallel here with northern ireland, and not least, tony blair was the prime minister. he did it in a political way with the terrorist group, like hamas, and he just negotiated it through, and made it legitimate, the political wing, in tend. do you thi -- in the end, do you think that the process is happening with hamas now, given that the process, so many arab countrying around israel believe it is an elected body and should be legitimized? >> what we see are a two-tract process, the decommissioning weapons, while at the same time committing peace talks. so there is a lesson, i think, for the israeli side and the hamas and others to commit to

the peace talks. do away with the charter, you must give up your weapons immediately. and you have to recognize israel as a jewish state right now, otherwise we can't talk. that rhetoric over the last 20 or 30 years, has resulted in the policy. that policy can't be upheld. there is now a new middle east. hamas was not as isolated as it was back as recently as 2008. now it has allies in qatar, and in the middle east. for the obama administration to capitalize on this post-war situation and try to bring a lasting settlement to this difficult region by maintaining this twin-track policy. rather than trying to say unless you do x, y and z, we're not going to talk to you. because the ugly reality, israelis are talking to hamas. and you know, the u.s. spoke to

the p.l.o. when they committed terror. >> thank you very much, indeed. >> thank you, piers. coming up next, the panel of stars on the middle east truce and what it means to the obama administration. [ male announcer ] citi turns 200 this year. in that time there've been some good days. and some difficult ones. but, through it all, we've persevered, supporting some of the biggest ideas in modern history. so why should our anniversary matter to you? because for 200 years, we've been helping ideas move

from ambition to achievement. and the next great idea could be yours. ♪ we find the best, sweetest craforelobste that we can find.

[ malennounc ] it'ti focrabfestt red lobster! his ar, y 1 of 5ntrees like our ne crab d garlic shri. half-pou otender crab pair with savory shrimp. st 12.99. odig into our hearty crab and roasted garlic seafood bake all with salad and unlimited cddar bay biscuit so much to choose from, so ittle time. so come into red lobster for abfest today and sea food differentlrom, so ittle time. a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. celebrex can be taken with or without food. and it's not a narcotic.

you and your doctor should balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen, and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, including celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you've had an asthma attack, hives, or other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor your medical history and find an arthritis treatment for you. visit celebrex.com and ask your doctor about celebrex. for a body in motion.

>> this is a critical moment for the region. egypt's new government is assuming the responsibility and leadership that has long made this country a cornerstone of regional stability and peace. secretary of state clinton, praising egypt for helping to broker the peace. there is also political news here in america, congressman jesse jackson jr., stepping down, republican pollster, welcome to you both. >> thank you. >> charles blow, a fascinating few days in the middle east. also fascinating politically, i think for america. i think very good for president obama. he has clearly been leading the way with daily calls to president netanyahu, to president morsi. and he has got the cease-fire that he clearly wanted.

as has secretary of state hillary clinton. she is now leaving, the role will be vacant. how do you think it is playing out for president obama and the strategy for the middle east? >> well, one thing that is really important to remember is that i think netanyahu has an election coming up in january. so you know, in our election he kind of bet on the wrong horse. you know, he made no qualms about the idea that he was a supporter of mitt romney, mitt romney didn't win. so now, president obama kind of has a bit of a stronger hand in that relationship, even though that relationship, as many people have noted is not the best relationship in the world. but now going into netanyahu's re-election bid, on the heels of this sort of conflict with the american government playing an instrumental role in bringing about a cease-fire, it kind of gives the obama administration,

the state department a much stronger hand in the middle east in general. and i think it gives president obama a stronger hand both in the middle east and at home. because he is able to play this role with someone that he has not had the best relationship with. >> kristen soltis, do you agree with that? >> i think to an extent. i think it would be good for obama if the cease-fire is able to be maintained. particularly i think it will be good for secretary clinton, you know, whenever you get to be the one giving the press conference, that is sort of a good visual moment. what i think is really interesting is to watch how the arab spring has affected this. and how egypt's sort of new leadership, there were these real questions about to what extent would the president of egypt, part of the muslim brotherhood, to what extent would they be able to play ball and be a good force for the

region? and so to what extent you can have them at the table to broker a deal, i think a lot of americans will just look favorably if the american government can play a positive role in bringing about peace. >> let's move on to two other issues before thanksgiving strikes us. one is the fiscal cliff. charles, do you get the same feeling that i have, that there is a more collective will to try to avoid falling off this cliff, and to get a deal done perhaps sooner rather than later? >> i absolutely do believe that. i believe that obama has a stronger hand. because if nothing happens, you know, no one wants that to happen. and in fact, the clock is ticking in that direction at this point. so everybody has kind of an incentive to say, let's cut some sort of deal. and i do believe that that deal will eventually incompass both the revenue increases and some sort of structural realignment

of some of the entitlement programs. and i think that, i actually believe that the american people put aside what the right and the left want. the american people are actually desperate to see their government be able to work. to do something, to make it happen. to not go into another situation where we have another downgrade. that is exactly the opposite of what we want coming out of this presidential election where people, i think, spoke and spoke rather clearly that we're going to have a divided government. that the republicans will have the house, the democrats will have the senate. and the presidency. and we want you guys to make this work for us. >> i think that is right, didn't it, kristen soltis? i also see that among them, playing games, they realize since losing the election that the public really are not going to buy into much more of this

apparent intrangience. >> they got beat, how do they deal with the fiscal cliff, showing they are trying to create economic growth? you have had a lot of discussions, how can we create revenues, we are serious about growing revenues, the spending, the question is how do you get it? by closing loopholes, raising rates. the other question, this has been talked about as a fiscal cliff, but i later heard it described as a potential stair case, where there will be stages, rather than just one deal that ends it all. this may be something where it comes down a little bit more gradually. and you have republicans who want to say let's pass legislation now. we passed it in the house to keep the tax rates where they

are, to stave off the fiscal cliffs. and democrats say we won't pass anything that extends the ratings for everybody. so the question is, what does this opening move look like. i don't think there will be much agreement on even what the opening move looks like, moving forward. >> we don't want to be pessimistic, it is almost thanksgiving, let's all just wish each other happy thanksgiving, and wish all of our politicians to come back afterwards and just get some deals done. thank you both very much for joining me. >> thank you for having us. >> and we'll be right back. con- still the most dependable, longest-lasting full-size pickups on the road. and now we've also been recognized for lowest total cost of ownership -- based on important things, like depreciation, fuel, and maintenance costs. and now trade up to get a 2012 chevy silverado all-star edition with a total value of $9,000. from outstanding value to standing the test of time, chevy runs deep.

well, having a ton of locations doesn't hurt. and my daughter loves the santa. oh, ah sir. that is a customer. let's not tell mom. [ male announcer ] break from the holiday stress. fedex office. how they'll live tomorrow. for more than 116 years, ameriprise financial has worked for their clients' futures. helping millions of americans retire on their terms. when they want. where they want. doing what they want. ameriprise. the strength of a leader in retirement planning. the heart of 10,000 advisors working with you one-to-one. together for your future. ♪

together for your future. try running four.ning a restaurant is hard, fortunately we've got ink. it gives us 5x the rewards on our internet, phone charges and cable, plus at office supply stores. rewards we put right back into our business. this is the only thing we've ever wanted to do and ink helps us do it. make your mark with ink from chase.

. this friday night, the average kind of holiday show, me and a bunch of crazy animals, jack hannah stops by with a bunch of his friends. if you know jack hannah, that means cheetahs, alligators, and a menagerie of hell, as far as i'm concerned. take a look at this. >> you can touch the tail if you want to. the tail gets that much bigger, that is thick. out there, it is 40 or 50 degrees, so -- >> that is cool, very cool. >> i'm sorry you don't have a hand there